(We reply): — No; for we find that the king, etc., (as in- stanced above) are direct agents also. In the first place, the king may be personally engaged in fighting. He is a direct agent as causing others to fight, as paying them wages, and also as reaping the fruits accruing from success and defeat. The sacrificer, too, is a real agent as offering the main oblation and as giving presents Wherefore, we should under- stand that to speak, by courtesy, of a man as an agent when he is not actually engaged, amounts to a figure of speech. If real agency, which consists in one being actually engaged in the act, were not found in the case of such agents as the king and the sacrificer, then we might suppose that even agency by mere presence constitutes real agency, as in the case of a magnet causing a piece of iron to revolve* On the contrary, we do find the king and the sacrificer actually engaged in 516 THE BHA.GAVAD-GITA. [DlS. XVIII.
some acts. Wherefore agency by mere presence is merely a gauna. or figurative agency. Such being tbe case, even the connection with results can only be gauna or unreal. By a gauwa or figurative agent no real action is performed. There- fore it is quite unreasonable to say that the activity of the body, etc., makes the actionless Self a real doer and enjoy er. The theory of Avidya concluded.
But all this becomes explicable when traced to illusion as its case, as in the case of dreams and the juggler's art (maya). And no agency or enjoyership or any other evil of the sort is experienced in sleep, saraadhi and similar states in which there is a break in the continuity of the illusory notions identifying the Self with the body, etc Wherefore the illu- sion of sawsara is due solely to an illusory notion and is not absolutely real.
Therefore we conclude that Right Knowledge conduces to absolute cessation of samsara. Qualification for instruction in tbe Gita Doctrine.
Having concl uded the whole doctrine of the Gita-sastra in this discourse, and having also briefly and conclusively started the doctrine especially here at the end to impress it the more firmly, the Lord proceeds now to state the rale as to the handing down of the instruction.
67. This (wtiich has been taught) to thee is never to be taught to one who is devoid of austeri- ties, nor to one who is not devoted, nor to one who- does not do service, nor to one who speaks ill of Me. ■ * *' Susrashu " literally means one who desires to hear.
This sastra has been taught to you by Me for your good, for the destruction of sawsara. Not devoted: without devo- tion to the Guru and to the Dsva. Never i under no cir- cumstances whatever. It should not be declared to him who, devoted and full of austerities as he may be, renders no service. One speaks ill of Me: he who looks upon Met Vasudeva, as an ordinary man, and who in his ignorance declares 'Me guilty of self-adulation and does not like to be told that I am the Isvara. He, too, is not fit; and the sastra should not be taught to him. By implication we should understand that the sastra is to be taught to him who does not speak ill of the Lord, who is a man of austerities, who is devoted, and who renders service. Now as it has been else" where said that it should be taught " either to a man of austerities, or to an intelligent man," it.should be declared tc a man of austerities who is devoted and renders service, of to an intelligent man possessed of the two attributes; it should not be taught to a man of austerities or to an intelligent.man if he is not devoted and does not render service. It should not be taught to him who is jealous of the Lord, though he may be possessed of all attributes. It should be thought to one who is devoted and renders service to the Guru This is the rule as to how the sastra should be handed down.
The merit of teaching the Doctrine.
Now the Lord proceeds to state what fruits will accrue to him who hands down the instruction; 68 He who with supreme devotion to Me will teach this Supreme Secret to My devotees, shall doubtless come to Me.
518 THE BHAGAVAD-GITA. [DlS. XVIII.
Thit Supreme Secret: the Secret Doctrine taught above la the form of a dialogue between Ke*ava arid Arjuna. It is Supreme because it conduces to the Highest Bliss. Teach: establish by teaching both the text itself and the doctrine, as I have established it by teaching it too thee. By repetition of ' devotion ' here it is meant that by devotion alone one be- comes worthy of being taught the *astra — How should he teach it?— I in the faith that he is thus doing service to the Eternal Lord, to the Parama-Guru, the Supreme Teacher. As the fruit of this act, such a teacher will go to the Lord, he will be liberated.
69. Nor is there any among men who does dearer service to Me than he; nor shall there be another on earth dearer to Me than he.
Nor, etc: There is none in the present generation. Se; the man who hands down the sastra. Shall be: in future time. On earth: in the world.
70. And he who will study this sacred dia- logue of ours, by him I shall have been worshipped by the sacrifice of wisdom, I deem.
Dialogue: this work which is in the form of a dialogue. Of the four kinds of sacrifice such as vidhi or ritual, japa or a loud prayer, upamm or a prayer uttered in a low voice, manasa or a prayer offered with the mind, the jnana-yajna or wisdom-sacrifice comes under the he*d of manasa and is therefore the highest. Thus the Gita-*astra is extolled as a juana-yajna.
Or, we may regard this passage as revealing what the real effect (of the act enjoined here) is, vix.t that the act will produce an effect equal to that of wisdom-sacrifice, of the contemplation of a Devata or the like.
The merit of hearing the Doctrine.
The benefit accruing to the hearer is stated as follows; 71. And the man also who hears, full of faith and free from malice even he, liberated, shall attain to the happy worlds of the righteous.
Even he: much more so he who understands the doctrine. Liberated: from sin. The righteous: those who have per- formed Agnihotra or such other sacrifices.
The Lord assured by Arjana of his grasp of the Teaching.
The Lord now asks with a desire to know whether the pupil has understood or not the teaching of the sastra, the object of the question beinjg that He might make the pupil understand the teaching by some other means, if the latter be found to have not understood it. And this is to show that it is the duty of the teacher to try again to make the pupil understand the teaching and enable him to attain his object, 72. Has it been heard by thee, O Partha> with an attentive mind? H *s the delusion of igno- rance been destroyed, O Dtiananjaya?
520 THE BHAGAVAD-GITA. [DlS. XVIII ► It: what I have told thee.. Heard: have you heard it without distraction and understood? Delusion of ignorance: that absence of discrimination which is caused by ignorance and which is natural. Has your delusion been destroyed? Its destruction is the object of all this exertion on your part to hear the sastra and of the exertion on my part as the teacher.
Arjuna said: 73. Destroyed is delusion, and I have gained recognition through Thy Grace, O Achyuta. I am firm, with doubts gone. I will do Thy word.
Delusion: born of ajnana or ignorance, the cause of the whole evil of samsara, hard to cross like the ocean, I; who have sought Thy Grace. Recognition: of the true nature of the Self. When this recognition is obtained, then will all the ties of the heart be loosened. — This questioning and answer- ing about the destruction of delusion shows conclusively, what the purpose of the knowledge of the teaching of the whole Sastra is, namely, the destruction of delusion and the attain- ment of a recognition of the Self. So the *ruti (Chha. Up. 7-1-3, 26-2) begins with the words. " Not knowing the Self, I grieve *' and then speaks of the loosening of all ties by means to Self-knowledge. There are also scriptural passages such as *' The tie of the heart is broken " (Mu»& Up. 2-2-8) and " To faim who sees unity, what delusion is there, what grief?'* (Isa. Up- 1)% I am firm: in Thy command. Do thy word 1 Arjuna means to say *' Through Thy Grace I have achieved the end of life s I have naught to do.** San jay a extols the Lord and His teaching.
The teaching of the sastra is over. Now in order to connect it with the main narrative, Sanjaya goes on: Sanjaya said: 74. Thus have I heard this wonderful dialogue between Vasudeva and the high-souled Partha, which makes the hair stand on end.
75. Through the grace of Vyasa have I heard this Supreme and most secret Yoga direct from Krishna, the Lord of Yoga, Himself declaring it.
Through the grace of Vyasa: by obtaining from him the divya-ehakshus or divine vision. Yoga: this dialogue; the work is called Yoga because it leads to Yoga. Or, the word may mean Yoga itself. Himself: it is not through mere tradition that I have heard it.
76. O king, remembering every moment this wonderful and holy dialogue between Kesava and Arjunai, I rejoice again and again.
King: DhntarasWra* Holy: as the mere hearing of it destroys sin.
522 THE BHAGAVAD-GITA. [DlS. XVIIL x 77, And remembering every rnoment the most wonderful Form of Hari, great is my wonder, O king; and I rejoice again and again.
Form: Visvarupa, the Universal Form. Not to dilate much.
78. Wherever is Krishna, the Lord of Yoga, wherever is Arjuna, the archer, there fortune, victory, prosperity and polity are established, I deem.
. WTierever: on that side on which. The Lord of Yoga. He is the Lord of Yogas, since the seed of all Toga comes forth from Him. Archer- wielding the bow called the Gan&va. There: on the side of the Paniavas. Prosperity: increase of fortune.